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Chapter Overview
Chapter 1: AudiobookHub Recommendation
Chapter 2: Emotional self-expression may be new in art, but it’s been central to language since the Dark Ages.
Chapter 3: Emoticons are simply the newest tool in the emotional toolkit of our language.
Chapter 4: The meaning of nearly every word shifts slowly and gradually over time.
Chapter 5: English is packed with cases of verbs turning into nouns and gaining completely new senses.
Chapter 6: The role of exclamation marks has shifted as usage trends and cross-cultural influences evolved.
Chapter 7: Realizing that words often fuse together and form new hybrids sheds light on Old English.
Chapter 8: Shifts in how we stress words when pronouncing them can trigger further language change.
Chapter 9: The word “like” has constantly transformed, and how we use it now is just the newest twist.
Description
Words on the Move (2016) is a whistle-stop tour through the history of the English language, from its Anglo-Saxon roots to global lingua franca. Packed with illuminating insights into the evolution of words and meaning, John McWhorter’s entertaining look at language dispels plenty of myths along the way. He argues that emoticons and the new use of “like” aren’t a threat to our language, but quite the opposite – they’re the latest chapters in a story of endless evolution.
Who Should Listen
- Language learners and enthusiasts
- Anyone who’s wondered where words come from
- History buffs